Learning to Manage Fear - It Can Be Done!

What is fear? What is Fear? What is Fear? People ask themselves this question everyday, all around the world, with different intensities and for some it is far too daunting a question to tackle. The mere thought or suggestion of fear unfortunately also induces fear in so many of us and we ultimately end up being caught in the 'fear-of-fear' cycle which has an amazing ability to sap our precious energy and divert us away from what is important in our lives. Yes, Fear can suck! The good news is fear is simply our natural and instinctive response to a threat which is real or imaginary. The good thing about this, and we know this, is that fear is intended by nature to be a protective mechanism to safeguard us against imminent threats and the dangers of this world - so yes, fear is supposed to be good and help us. The problem with this vital emotion is that it can get out of whack and start to interfere with our daily lives and get bad enough to the point where we lose interest in our goals and make no attempt to go after the life we desire; by limiting our vision, depleting positive energy and motivation, and perpetuating strong feelings of inadequacy, fear can prevent us from being who we are and prevent us from making the necessary changes to get our shit together and our life in order. I know most of you have heard all this before but the mere thought that an emotion designed to protect us can actually overthrow our life and hijack our emotional well being and make us a prisoners is an absurd and fearful thought in itself - this cannot be tolerated and must not be tolerated. We have to take fear on. The greater news is since most of our fear is 'learned', we have a choice to stand up to our fears, take them on, 'unlearn' them, bully them around and eradicate them - like anything in life this is not easy and takes work and dedicated practice but with the right mindset, discipline and belief it can be accomplished. By changing our THINKING towards fear, our RESPONSES towards fear and our ACTIONS where fear is concerned we can manage them courageously and live 'fear-free'. To live this freely and confidently though in our society today means we will have to make a concerted and conscious effort in that direction and see our 'fear-free' life as a serious project that needs short term and long term goals. But once again, YES, we can win and we must win. Trust me, I used to be scared of everything from going to school, putting nice lotion on my face, shaving with sharp blades, going on dates, saying the wrong thing, being five minutes too late anywhere, flying on a plane, going to the gym, being rejected by anyone, picking the wrong football score to fearing believing in myself and embracing my potential. I was scared of friggin everything as fear was an ever-present and controlling factor in my life; but in the end I beat it. Sure I still have fear, and I must have some degree of fear as we know it is a useful emotion, but it is manageable now and l am in control of it; fear of failure ensures I go after what I want and i do things properly and thoroughly, but I don't put too much pressure on myself. But to start the journey in defeating fear, you first have to identify your fear, know its parameters, know its objective in your life than get used to it and have the courage to invite it into your consciousness and take it on. In the end you can MANAGE it and defeat it. So how do we actually defeat Fear? Well, many techniques and solutions exist but the idea first is for you to know now that it can be done, it must be done, and it deserves to be done, and than believe you can do it. I will discuss Managing Fear By Awareness, Exposure Therapy and Visualization in my upcoming blogs but if you can for now make it a goal to get comfortable with fear and warm up to the idea you will take your fears on, then you will be on the right track. Remember a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! Keep your Friends close and Your Fear Closer! Fear Is Our Ally!